Combined piano and player bench.



W. G. KILBBRG & A. J. JOHNSON.

COMBINED PIANO AND PLAYER BENCH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25, 1013.

1,104,675. Patent ed July 21, 1914 Main/ass es THE NORRIS PE'rERs 60., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D r.

nNrrnn STATES PATENT ornron WILLIAM G. KILIBERG, OF CAMBRIDGE, AND ANDREW J. JOHNSON, OF SOMERVILLE,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS TO C. A. COOK COMPANY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSA- CI-IUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED PIANO AND PLAYER BENCH.

T0 all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLLAM G. KIL- BERG, a citizen of the United States, and ANDREW J. JOHNSON, a subject of the King of Sweden, and residents of Cambridge and Somerville, respectively, county of Middlesex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Combined Piano and Player Benches, of which the follow ing description in connection with the accompanying drawings is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like arts. p The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved form of bench adapted to present, at will, a seat at any one of a plurality of different heights and angles to suit the convenience or necessities of the user. The bench is adapted for use for many different purposes but is particularly designed to serve as a combined piano and playerpiano bench. As is well known, the seat of a bench designed for use in connection with a player-piano is preferably somewhat higher than, and angularly positioned relative to a bench designed primarily for use with a piano and our invention provides a convenient, combined piano and playerpiano bench which may be quickly adapted for use in either capacity.

In the drawing of one embodiment of our invention which has been found satisfactory in service, Figure 1 is a front, and also a rear elevation, partly in section, herein both sides being alike; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section on the line 33, Fig. 1, from the right, showing the seat or top member in its normal position for use as a piano bench; Fig. 4, a similar view of the seat raised to its intermediate position for use as a player bench; Fig. 5, a similar view of the seat raised toits normal position for use as a player bench; Fig. 6, a similar view showing the seat in its intermediate position but inclined in the opposite direction; Fig. 7, a detail showing the movablepivoted connection between the bench ends and the forward side of the seat, and Fig. 8, a detail showing the movable pivoted connections between the bench ends and the rear side of the seat.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, our improved bench is shown as comprising ends having supporting members or legs 1-1,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 25, 1913.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Serial No. 775,778.

22, which may be separate as herein and suitably connected and braced by end rails 3, 1, or obviously each end member may be constructed integral and fashioned as desired. The respective pairs of legs at each end of the bench herein are also preferably braced with each other, see Fig. 3, as by a central longitudinal rail 5, extended between the end rails 44 and also, see Fig. 1, by a similar rail 6, extended between the rails 33, all of which may be secured in any convenient manner.

The bench also, see Figs. 1 to 6, comprises a seat member 7, and, as illustrated herein, this seat member is also provided, Fig. 3, at each side edge with longitudinal rails 8, 9, suitably secured to the seat 7. Suitable transverse braces 10-10 are also provided both to guard against any tendency of the seat member 7 to warp and also for the purpose of more securely locking the seat 7 and rails 8, 9, firmly together.

For adjustably securing the seat 7 to the ends, we have provided the following novel,

movable pivoted construction. The two forward, or, Fig. 2 left hand legs 11, are provided, see Figs. 2-7, near their upper ends, and at such points thereon as convenience and experiment may determine to be I most suitable, with curved seat positioning channels 12, of convenient dimensions each channel being somewhat wider at a section intermediate its ends than at other points and having at each end a downwardly ex tended or oii'set section or end 13, adapted To cooperate with the pins 14 on the for ward rail 8, I also provide the rear rail 9 with a swinging pivoted or adjustable hinge connection comprising a seat positioning member 15, herein shown as a rod of suitable size and material, as metal, extended throughout the length of the seat 7 and through the braces 1010, which herein formbearing therefor and secure the same to the seat member 7. This seat positioning member'is provided, Figs. 3-8, at each end 16, 16, and pivot end 17, 1? are preferably sharply defined, and if desired may *be with a seat supporting offset section or crank portion 16 of proper, predetermined tooled to uniformity, to produce substantially equal and uniform motion of the two ends of the seat.

The channels 12 and apertures 1818 are, of course, so located relative to the pins 14 pivot ends 17 that together they will act to position the seat '7 normally at the desired point and permit the required adjustment thereof. In the normal position of the seat T, the pins 14 rest in the lower seats 13 at the bottoms of the channels 12, 12,-see Fig. 3, and the swinging rod 15 is positioned substantially vertically and with its crank portions 16-l6 against the inner face of the rail 9, thus preventing any lateral motion of the seat 7 nre-ither direction.

To raise the seat 7 from its normal or piano position, see Fig. 3, to the intermediate' ilayeipesitien, see Fig. 4, the seat 7 is grasped at each side edge thereof and raised i in an angular rearward direction to the,

F ig. 4, right, but in a substantially horizontal position, until the pins 14 reach a point substantially midway between the upper and lower seats 13, 13, where the channels 12, 12, are wider than elsewhere. The left hand side of the seat is then held in that po-- sition while the right hand sideis swung upwardly, the member 15 swinging outwardly "and upwardly for that purpose, and the pins 1'414 allowed to drop into the lower seats 13, positioning the seat in in termediate player position shown in Fig. 4. The *wide sections of the channels 12, 12 intermediate their ends permit suiiicient late r al play of the pins 14, 14, at this point to permit the rod 15 to turn upwardly and about its ends 17 to bring the 'seat and rod to the positions shown in Fig. 4. This 'po sition provides *an increased height at the r'ea'r of the seat and a sharp incline for persons who prefer such a position, and for suchuse of the bench as requires such a position -'for greater convenience.

To raise the seat 7 from its low normal 'or piano position, Fig. 3, to its raised or player position, Fig. 5, the operator grasps each side of the seat as before, raises it slots 12, 12, permitting suiiicient lateral movement of the pins 14, 14, to permit the rod 15 to turn upwardly and outwardly about its ends 17, 17, with the crank portions l6-16 against the rail 9 to raise the rear edge of the seat. The forward edge of the seat is at same time raised until the pins 14, 14, reach the top of the channels 12, 12, when they are allowed to drop back on to the upper-seats 13, thus positioning the seat in normal player position as shown in Fig. 5, slightly inclined forwardly or to the left,

but at a substantia'lly higher position than that shown in Fig. '0. To raise the seat '5 from its intermediate posit-ion of ig. 4, to its player posit-ion cf Fig. 5, the front edge of the seat is raised and moved backward slightly to permit the pins 14, 14, to be raised from the lower seats 13, 1 3 and car- 'ried up to the tops of the ohannels 12, 12, whenthe'y are permitted to drop ferwa rd into the upper seats 13, 13, thus bringing the seat 7 to its proper player position. When it is desired to lower the seat ilinom its player position, one needs only to raise the front edge thereof suiiiciently to carry the pins 14, 14, from the upper seats 13, 13 over the highest point in the channels 12, 12, thus permitting the rod 15 to turn over and downard about its ends 17, 17, and the pins 14, 14 to follow the channels 12, 1 to the lower seats 13, 13, the weight of the seat being sufficient to cause it to drop easily and readily. Similarly to drop the seat from its intermediate posit-ion to its lower 'or piano posit-ion, it is raised sufiiciently to permit the rod 15 rtot-urn over and downward about its ends 17 -17, when the pins -14l4 will readily drop back on to the lower seats 13 13 owing to the weight of the seat.

If, for any reason, it should be desired to nse the seat in the intermediate position of Fig. 4, facing in the opposite direction as, for instance, when two instruments, a player and a piano or second player are used interchangeably, and are positioned face to face,

such use may be had by raising the seat as before described for the intermediate position of Fig.4, holding the rear edge of the seat while the forward edge is raised to the full position of 5, thus positioning the pins 14-14'on the upper seats 13-13 and permitting the rear edge to drop again slightly to the position shown in Fig. 6. In this manner=one bench will serve for :two instruments. If only one seat is used and if the seat is long enough for two persons, it will ordinarily be quite :heavy-and the above means for obtaining the opposite intermediate position will be found convenient as it avoids the necessity-of lifting the bench and turning it around.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that Ifour adjustments of the seat 7 may be obtained instantaneously and with ease. While it may be possible to mount the seat upon the ends without the use of the continuous rod 15 and its ends 17-17, we have found the difficulty of obtaining the uniform action of the two ends of the seat to insure correct and convenient adjustment of the seat to be some objection to such construction, while the continuous rod 15 with its ends 1717 provides uniform mot-ion between the two ends of the seat, obviating binding between the same and the bench ends and allows of most convenient and expeditious adjustment.

Having described one form of our invention, which however may be varied more or less without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, we claim:

1. A combined piano and player bench comprising end members each having a substantially hook shaped slot formed therein near one edge thereof, a seat having a pin at eachend adapted to travel in the coacting slot and a crank shaped pivot member exten ing from one end member to the opposite end member -adjacent the other edge thereof and operatively connected to said seat, said crank member having two short length crank portions to support the seat in both the upper and lower positions of said crank, said crank being movable through substantially 180.

2. A combined piano and player bench comprising end members each having a substantially hook shaped slot formed therein near one edge thereof, a seat having a pin at each end adapted to travel in the coacting slot, and crank means adjacent the other edge of said end members and having two short length crank portions to support the seat in both the upper and lower positions of said crank portions.

8. A combined piano and player bench comprising end members each having a curved slot formed therein near one edge thereof and provided with a plurality of sockets at different elevations, a seat having a pin at each end adapted to travel in the coacting slot, and crank means adjacent the other edge of said end members and having two short length crank port-ions to support the seat in both the upper and lower positions of said crank portions, whereby said seat may be supported in a horizontal and in oppositely inclined positions.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. KILBERG. ANDREW J. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

EVERETT S. EMERY, ELIZABETLL P. HILLIARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C." 

